With four levels of late registration to begin the scheduled final day of the $3,300 OPE Classic Cup, the total field size and prize pool were still to be determined. So, too, was the finish date, as 119 new entries joined the 74 from Day 1 to set the final total at 193.
It was quickly determined that an added Day 3 would be needed on Monday at the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series, with Antoine Hasbani leading the final 29 players at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino by bagging 1,555,000 chips.
Lebanon’s Walid Bou Habib follows in a tie for second spot along with Konstantin Voromin, who both collected 1,275,000. Day 1 chip leader Cenk Ogun held the advantage for much of the night, but slipped in the final level to sit in fourth place.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antoine Hasbani | Lebanon | 1,555,000 | 78 |
| 2 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 1,275,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Konstantin Voromin | Russian Federation | 1,275,000 | 64 |
| 4 | Cenk Ogun | Netherlands | 1,250,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Roman Gadzhiev | Russian Federation | 1,165,000 | 58 |
| 6 | Iurii Saiapin | Russian Federation | 1,085,000 | 54 |
| 7 | Antoine Farhat | Lebanon | 970,000 | 49 |
| 8 | Mustafa Biz | Turkey | 945,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Jeremie Zouari | France | 935,000 | 47 |
| 10 | Fadi Nakhoul | Lebanon | 910,000 | 46 |
Money Bubble Looms
The 46 players who found a bag after Day 1 returned to action for another evening start, and the field size steadily grew right from the start. By the time late registration closed, 85 players still remained in contention with only the top 23 making the money.
That leaves an added dimension to Monday’s action, as the bubble will burst on the way to deciding a champion. The min-cash will be worth at least $5,110, while the field battles for the largest pieces of the $532,680 prize pool.
The winner will claim the OPE Classic Cup title, along with the top prize of $132,000.
Hasbani began his ascent to the top by taking out Antonino Venneri just after registration had closed, coming from behind to claim a sizeable pot at that point.
Russia’s Roman Gadzhiev and Iurii Saiapin sit as the only other players above the million-chip mark, while others still in contention include the likes of WSOP bracelet winner Nikolay Fal.
Among the notable names to fall short on Day 2 were Kalidou Sow, Adrian State and Simone Andrian. WPT champion and WSOP bracelet holder Maxim Lykov lost a flip to end his tournament run.
$3,300 OPE Classic Cup Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $132,000 | 8 | $17,150 |
| 2 | $90,000 | 9 | $12,850 |
| 3 | $60,000 | 10-12 | $9,380 |
| 4 | $41,500 | 13-15 | $7,730 |
| 5 | $32,500 | 16-18 | $6,550 |
| 6 | $26,500 | 19-21 | $5,760 |
| 7 | $21,700 | 22-23 | $5,110 |
Play will resume at 3 p.m. local time on Level 19, with blinds of 10,000/20,000 along with a 20,000 big blind ante. Levels will remain 40 minutes long, with action continuing until a winner is named.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team continues to cover this high roller event as the newest Merit Poker champion will be crowned.
